Work continues on identifying victims, Spanish leader say, with fears that death toll could grow
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and Castilla–La Mancha president Emiliano García-Page have just briefed the media on the latest on the train crash on Wednesday.
69 people have been confirmed dead, but the toll may rise further, with at least 70 people reported missing. Some may be among those yet to be identified, with emergency services having so far confirmed the identities of only 13 people. A further 31 body bags containing partial remains also await identification, making the process “very complex.”
Sánchez added that there may be up to 27 nationalities among the affected, with authorities working in close coordination with relevant embassies and consulates.
Out of 110 people hospitalised after the incident, 71 have been discharged, and 39 remain in hospitals.
The prime minister also acknowledged that the confidence in the country’s high-speed train, once a source of national pride, is “broken” as he pledged to work on restoring it in the future.
“The government’s job is not just to make the diagnosis, but to offer solutions so that a tragedy of this magnitude never happens again. And that’s what we’re doing,” he said.
Key events
Asked specifically about this point, Puente says the probe will no doubt look at why the high-speed Ave train was not stopped after resumption even after the preceding Iryo train got back in touch with the control centre confirming it was still stranded.
He adds that he believes there was enough time to stop if an order had been issued.
Puente offers a bit more detail about the main traffic operator in charge of the sector where the crash took place.
He says the operator is a 48-year-old man, with all relevant up-to-date training and two years of experience in control centres, managing this specific sector since February this year. “So, it was a sector he knew well,” he says.
But he doesn’t want to offer any further detail at this stage, but later adds that the man has been suspended.
Asked about the technical differences between the order that was given and the one should have been given, he repeats that “the protocol … is clear,” but “it was not the decision that was taken.”
He then once again gets asked if he would resign if that offered any comfort to the families of the victims.
He says it is a “very delicate” question, but he isn’t clear on how his resignation would offer comfort to victims.
Spain’s transport minister says he has confidence in rail system, would travel by train
Transport minister Puente also gets asked about Sánchez’s comments on broken trust in the high-speed rail (11:04).
He says it’s undeniable that the public’s trust has been shaken given the two accidents, and he says this “requires changes to our systems.”
But he insists he still has confidence in the system, and would still travel by train.
“I believe our system is safe and that these events … are truly exceptional,” he says.
“I will dedicate my utmost effort and capacity to providing the Spanish people with solutions that will lead to the restoration of trust,” he says.
Puente also defends his earlier commentary, talking on Wednesday about “inexplicable” circumstances that led to the crash. He says this is why this will need to be properly investigated.
He also gets questions on his political responsibility, echoing his earlier sentiment that his resignation would not in itself resolve anything. But he says that if he believed him remaining in the job was a problem, he would resign.
He says he is painfully aware that he will be targeted with criticism, “insults … and the presumption of guilt” during the electoral campaign, and it would be easier for him to step aside.
But he’s not planning to do that.
Peunte says the government is “evaluating” whether its needed to review other lines.
He says the Spanish system, unlike the German one, focuses on keeping lines running during maintenance works to avoid disruption.
He says the government will have to consider whether that should change, but he is clear that there would be push back from service users.
Puente gets challenged on what a reporter suggests is his attempt to put blame on “a human factor.”
He says he didn’t actually use the phrase, even if that’s how his words may have been interpreted. Instead, he says he wants to present the facts, and let people draw their own conclusions.
There is also an interesting question on whether seatbelts should be introduced on high-speed trains – but he says it’s not up to him, but for experts to evaluate.
Puente also says that high-speed rail network can only operate with a mix of technology and human oversight.
He says when the signalling system fails, the high-speed network defaults to the same rules that apply to the rest of Spain’s rail network, 12,000km of it.
He says that human oversight is always “the final line of defence,” but it doesn’t mean that operators sit with “a pen and paper,” but have extensive screens and systems available to them.
He says that there are some key rules that should have been applied to this situation: that the train behind must remain stationary until the train ahead moves; that the train behind should be told to travel “at sight” with severely restricted speed.
He stresses the trains were correctly halted by the automatic systems, and only resumed moving on manual orders from the operations centre.
“It will be up to the investigation and the judiciary to clarify the reasons and the consequences,” he says.
He says the government’s priority is to “examine what support mechanisms were in place and determine whether they can be improved.”
And we’re moving on to the Q&A.
Puente says that the control centre had 16 controllers at the time of the crash, which falls within “completely normal conditions”.
He says the control centres have seen an increase of operators from 1,008 in 2016 to nearly 1,700 today, with additional technological improvements.
“It is simply incorrect to suggest the service is understaffed,” he says.
But he says all of this “does not mean there is nothing that needs to be improved,” as he repeats his earlier line that Spain should not have to deal with two major train crashes in nine months.
“We know this will not be easy … but I assure you we will spare no effort to overcome this crisis,” he says.
Puente says it remains unclear what caused the communications failure that originally caused the six affected trains to stop. He says the system operator is waiting for judicial approval to access its logs.
But he says that signalling failures are “not uncommon,” and in either case systems are designed in such a way to handle them without issues.
He says there were some 170 similar signalling incidents in 2026, which “may appear high to the general public, but falls within the normal range by European standards,” and below recovered averages.
He says that safety system rely on physical infrastructure, which can fail or be affected by acts of vandalism or theft, “which, unfortunately, occurs quite frequently.”
He says the LZB system is “a robust, highly-reliable” system which remains in use in several other countries, including Austria, Germany, and the UK, even as it’s being phased out in favour of a newer single European ERTMS system.
He says Spain is “the frontrunner” in implementing the ERTMS system, ahead of EU-specified deadlines, but explains why the rollout has been hit by some delays. The system is expected to be fully operational on Madrid-Sevilla route in early 2027, he says.
He then goes into explaining how the backup automatic braking system ASFA is meant to be work, and how it was applied to this case.
Spain’s transport minister suggests operations control errors, rejects calls for resignation
Peunte begins by paying tribute to all affected by the incident.
He says that “at present, evidence points to a failure within Adif’s command and control centre,” but adds that investigators are still looking “to clarify what exactly happened.” He says he still has confidence in the system.
“I want to make it clear that I will not use any worker as a shield, nor will I prejudge where responsibility lies,” he says.
He says he will not “hide behind anyone” and wants to lead the work to “provide explanations, review what happened,” and make sure it will not happen again.
He rejects calls for his resignation, saying that any decision on this should be based on “facts” and not “in reaction to the pressures of the moment.”
“My duty now is not to discuss my position, but to resolve the problem, clarify what happened, and offer clear explanations,” he says.
He says the public does not expect mistakes will never happen, but wants the authorities to “honestly” respond and ensure they do not happen again.
“That is my commitment and responsibility,” he says.
He then goes through the chronology of the incident, setting out what we know at this stage, as set out in our video explainer below.
Jakub Krupa
Puente is now speaking.
I will bring you the key lines.
As we are still waiting for Puente’s press conference, we are getting more information about foreign victims of the crash.
A Czech citizen died in Wednesday’s train crash in Spain, the Czech foreign ministry has confirmed, according to the ČTK news agency.
Earlier today, Portugal also confirmed that its citizen was among the victims (11:09).
Operator who cleared high-speed train to resume travel declines to be interviewed
Meanwhile, the operator who cleared the high-speed Renfe Ave train to resume its journey before colliding with the stationary Iryo service has declined to be interviewed by the Civil Guard, according to Spanish media reports.
The revelation comes after several recordings from the incident were leaked to Spanish media, revealing parts of the critical communications in the final minutes before the crash and apparent confusion about the operation of the systems.
Separately, the train drivers’ union cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the incident, insisting on an extensive investigation into possible systemic failures that led to the tragedy.
What we know about the Spanish train incident so far? – explainer
Laure Boulinier
Jakub Krupa
We are also expecting to hear from Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente in the next 10-20 minutes.
I will bring you the key lines here.
At least 51 foreign nationals affected by Spanish train crash
Sources at Spain’s foreign ministry have confirmed that at least 51 foreign nationals from 23 different countries were involved in the crash.
Of those, two are believed to have died, nine were injured, and 18 are largely unharmed; the status of 22 remains unclear.
These numbers are likely to change as the identification process continues.
Portuguese authorities have confirmed that one crew member killed in the accident was Portuguese, according to El País and EFE.
Work continues on identifying victims, Spanish leader say, with fears that death toll could grow
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and Castilla–La Mancha president Emiliano García-Page have just briefed the media on the latest on the train crash on Wednesday.
69 people have been confirmed dead, but the toll may rise further, with at least 70 people reported missing. Some may be among those yet to be identified, with emergency services having so far confirmed the identities of only 13 people. A further 31 body bags containing partial remains also await identification, making the process “very complex.”
Sánchez added that there may be up to 27 nationalities among the affected, with authorities working in close coordination with relevant embassies and consulates.
Out of 110 people hospitalised after the incident, 71 have been discharged, and 39 remain in hospitals.
The prime minister also acknowledged that the confidence in the country’s high-speed train, once a source of national pride, is “broken” as he pledged to work on restoring it in the future.
“The government’s job is not just to make the diagnosis, but to offer solutions so that a tragedy of this magnitude never happens again. And that’s what we’re doing,” he said.
Evacuations from Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky begin
Meanwhile, we are getting a line from Russian-occupied Oleshky confirming that evacuations are now under way, as part of a US-brokered localised ceasefire to provide humanitarian aid to the city’s residents.
527 people are expected to return to Ukraine-controlled territories, Ukraine’s prime minister Sergii Koretskyi said, quoted by Interfax.
Speaking to parliament, he added that they would travel through Russia to Belarus, where they would then enter Ukraine through the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.
Russian human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova claimed that some people wanted to be evacuated to Russia, too.
Morning opening: Spain mourns and investigates causes of train crash in Toledo
Jakub Krupa
Spain continues investigating Wednesday’s deadly train crash in Toledo province, which killed 69 people, and left many more injured.
An initial interim report by the independent body investigating the crash confirms the high-speed Ave train was travelling at between 160 and 200km/h when it collided with the stationary train ahead of it.
Despite a lot of attention on leaked recordings of conversations between the operations centre and drivers affected by a signalling failure in the Urda area, the full investigation is likely to take weeks if not months. The investigators were not able to speak to some of the key witnesses so far, the interim report said.
But, as our Spain correspondent Sam Jones notes in his analysis, the effect on Spain’s politics can be more imminent given next month’s parliamentary elections.
“The crash could sap Sánchez’s recently resurgent momentum and the issue of rail safety now threatens to overshadow his attempts to defend his record and remain in the Moncloa palace.”
Elsewhere, I will be keeping an eye on France and Italy, with more protests planned in both countries as populations continue to show their frustrations with the state of education, the cost of living and other issues.
French interior minister Laurent Nuñez warned of “a very high risk” of violent disorder this weekend, as he blamed “the radicalised far-left” and the Yellow Vest movement for urging more people to attend demonstrations with “quite radical” messages.
In Italy, “massive” students protests are expected in Rome, Milan, the student movement said.
I will bring you all the latest.
And later the attention will turn to Canada, as it continues discussing its new relationship with the EU at a summit in Montreal – whether through an “associate membership” or some other form of partnership. We will hear from Mark Carney and Ursula von der Leyen.
It’s Friday, 30 October 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
